Wait Time Fraud

IG Report: Audiology Wait Time Fraud Investigated At Baltimore VA

IG just issued its report into fraud allegations at Baltimore VA into audiology wait times possibly impacting veterans seeking disability benefits for hearing loss:

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) began an
investigation in 2014 based on a written complaint, stating that an unnamed “Chief” at the VA Medical Center (VAMC) in Baltimore, Maryland, instructed his or her staff to immediately close Compensation and Pension (C&P) consults for Audiology examinations upon receipt. The complainant alleged that as a result, the consults were closed before the Audiology examinations could take place. This anonymous complaint further stated that “this closing of the consult on the day received skews the data and gives the appearance of reporting fraudulent data to the staff.

What follows appears to be a curious attempt to evade solid soundbytes that could show up in newspapers about more wait times and continued employee fraud that benefits senior leaders.

[documentcloud url=”https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5130899-VAOIG-14-02890-16.html” responsive=true]

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6 Comments

  1. so a couple of years ago I went to the Baltimore VA attempting to get some meds for Migraine. after waiting for 3 1/2 hours they took my blood pressure which was 165 over 105 and warranted a raised eye brow by the nurse. All the while they were dealing with a belligerent drunk fool that had no problem but insisted he did. After 4 hours wait I left and over week later I got a nasty letter accusing me of having left the clinic.

  2. Now the VA is just being bully blatant assholes and not even trying to hide their indifference. Close this circle jerk of gov’t welfare works program and send the AFGE to a march over a tall cliff like overfed fat lemmings they are and let every Veteran use ANY medical Dr. of our choosing, or at least competent, non-VA assholes.

    1. Agreed…

      If the VA’s “Duty to assist” consists of sending us to nurse practitioners or just to blow us off all together, then what is the point of a C&P exam?

      Look, at my recent C&P exam they were also so boldfaced to not hide that it was a joke.

      Why?

      – For one, the girl at the front desk asked “me” to tell her what my high blood pressure was. She didn’t even weigh me. She asked me if my weight was on my driver’s license. When I asked her why would I have to had taken my pressure (because duh, I don’t have high blood pressure), she huffed and motioned me to have a seat so she (in her jeans and high heels) could take my pressure).

      Then the guy who saw me? After reading to me his resume (ex navy officer who is pretty much a primary care capacity – no specialization – despite my visit requiring a specialist), he kept on looking at the clock, skimming through my records (over 790 pages of it) and pretty much told me that this is NOT an examination.

      So, essentially, if the VA expects us to tell them where to look in our records (because both VA employees and these idiots they contract for the C&P exams are on production) and tell the C&P examiners what to look for (without ordering necessary exams, like MRIs), then why not let us choose our own doctors/specialists?

      I mean, they keep on sending me to general practitioners and nurses who think that asking me questions (as if I’m a doctor and know where in my records the information is) and who do these silly measurement tests to see if you have a current condition…and this is without them doing/reviewing proper testing. I mean xrays only show so much.

      So, I get it…only way a veteran is gonna possible get the information to the VA is to come out of pocket and get testing/evaluation done by his/her own non-VA private physician….and good luck with that because then the VA and BVA wanna play this game of their VA nurse practitioner is capable of debunking whatever your private physician says.

      1. You are so right, they done this to me also. Still doing it. After 40 some years I still have not been authorized service connection for my traumatic brain injury.

        Seen by a Medical doctor who specializes in mental health ?. Now the va is sending me to another medical doctor for a second opinion !

        There is a law va is to follow, but since when did the va start following the rules and laws.

        When rhere is any Doubt the rating is to go in favor of the veterans.

        Laughable if it wasn’t harming these veterans. VA is still not giving veterans with traumatic brain injuries the proper evaluation.

        Until people like this are Arrested and put in jail, they will continue to do as they please, no matter how many veterans are harmed.

        Sent me to complete a PTSD reexamination the day before the 4th of July. Then made me an appointment for the traumatic brain injury second opinion on Veterans day !

    2. Agreed.

      Do we need a Pied Piper for the AFGE union members to follow in line to the cliff? They follow all the other inside VA music. Just saying what I keep observing.

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